The Effects of Developmental Groups on Personality Factors

Because of the attempt by our culture to deal with isolation and alienation in contemporary life, the small group process has become a significant force in many parts of American society. It has been known under many names: encounter group, T-group, sensitivity group and developmental group. Since this phenomenon generally grew outside of the establishment, those scholars and behavioral scientists who have in the past been charged with the evaluation of such practices only recently have begun to explore its effects. Perhaps because the group process was not first explored intensively in an academic setting, colleges have been among the last institutions to explore the effects of the group experience (Rogers 1972). Little research has attempted to investigate the feasibility and effects of conducting such groups on a university campus. One such study was attempted by Enfield (1972). In order to further explore the implications of such processes, this present study was designed to replicate the portion of Enfield\u27s project that studied the quantitative effects of the group experience on personality structure. Such research is vitally needed to provide the bases for rationally evaluating the effects of the small group process on personality variables